Category Archives: Opinion pieces

1 Playing with a back three has proved successful and gives Belgium an option when they want to avoid playing central defenders at full-back. However, it has yet to be tested against the strongest opposition. 2. Whatever formation is chosen, Kevin De Bruyne must play centrally and never be shunted out wide. 3. The introduction… Read More »

So far there has been little criticism of Roberto Martinez. He’s won all the games he had to win and he’s already experimented more than Marc Wilmots ever did. Maybe it’s an exaggeration to say it’s a honeymoon period but with the opposition in his World Cup qualification group, he could avoid serious censure from… Read More »

Wallonia has been in the news recently. Its regional government voted against the EU-wide trade deal with Canada, prompting comments of “this obscure place” from UK Tory politicians. (ED: more people live in Wallonia than in Wales.) But Belgium politics is not that simple – there are seven regions and communities that would have to… Read More »

Kevin De Bruyne was the toast of half of Manchester last night after his goal put the Blues into a semi-final of Europe’s major competition for the first time. That would be enough for most players but a little further thought shows that he had a major influence on the outcome of both of last… Read More »

Last Monday, Anthony Vanden Borre played his first few minutes of football since August 2015. He turned out for Anderlecht U21s in front of a few fans, the players’ families and the Anderlecht coaching staff. His current situation is not great. But then calling his Anderlecht team-mates “fags” was never going to be a great… Read More »

At the halfway stage in the JPL, Oostende are on the top of the table and have been crowned ‘Autumn Champions’. It won’t mean much to coach Yves Vanderhaeghe who knows more than most that football is not a matter of life and death. Vanderhaeghe arrived late on both the national and international scenes. He… Read More »

Belgium play in Andorra tonight and against Israel in Brussels on Tuesday. Two points from those two games will see them qualify for the European Championships but what’s bubbling under the surface. Let’s have a look. Ten things you may not know 1. Lukaku plays tonight but it’s not ‘Big Rom’ but smaller-sized Jordan –… Read More »

It’s an unlikely scenario. Vincent Kompany storms into Manuel Pelliegrini’s office and shouts “Gaffer. We’ve got David Silva, Yaya Touré and Raheem Sterling. We don’t need Kevin De Bruyne.” Going back a few years – to 1972 – the then City captain Mike Doyle did exactly that, bursting into Malcolm Allison’s office to announce that… Read More »

There have never been so many Belgians in the Premier League. It’s a boom time but the 2016 Euros are fast approaching and young guns in Belgium, France, Germany and Spain – and even in the Premier League itself – will be battling for a place in Marc Wilmots’ squad. Wilmots has been notoriously loyal… Read More »

With Charly Musonda Jr. wearing the number 10 shirt for Chelsea as they won the 2015 UEFA Youth League by beating Shakhtar Donetsk, it’s time for a look back at where he came from and some thoughts about where he’s going. I’ve seen Musonda play – live – on two occasions. The first time was… Read More »